Cavs’ Allen to sign 3-year, $91M max extension

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen has agreed on a three-year, $91 million maximum contract extension that will guarantee him $131 million over the next five seasons, his agent Derrick Powell told ESPN on Wednesday.

Allen becomes third key Cavaliers player — along with Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley — to sign massive extensions this summer, solidifying the franchise as a long-term Eastern Conference contender.

Allen — an All-Star in 2022 — averaged 16.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists last season. Before getting injured in the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Orlando Magic, Allen averaged 17 points, 13.8 rebounds and 68% shooting through the first four games of the opening-round playoff series, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The 6-foot-9 Allen had played 81 consecutive games last season before a rib injury kept him out of the final three games against Orlando and the entire conference semifinal series loss to the Boston Celtics.

Allen had 42 double-doubles last season, the most in his career and the most by a Cavaliers player since LeBron James (52) in 2017-2018, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

Along with Milwaukee’s two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Allen was one of two players to average 15 points on 60% shooting last season. For his career, Allen is one of four players in the shot-clock era to average 15 points, 10 rebounds and 60% shooting in multiple seasons, per ESPN Stats and Info. The others are Artis Gilmore, Rudy Gobert and Dwight Howard.

Allen was the 22nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft for the Brooklyn Nets, where he played the first three-plus NBA seasons until a four-team trade landed him in Cleveland in 2021.